Szeged-Hungary-

Szeged is the third largest and the southernmost city in Hungary. It is the largest city of the Southern Great-Plain and is located at the encounter of two important rivers: the Maros and the Tisza. Beside all these, it is an important cultural center and has one of the most distinguished universities in the country. It is often referred to as the “City of Sunshine” due to the number of sunny hours annually, the highest in Hungary with more than 2100 hours a year.

Getting in can be real easy if you know your options. Szeged has a small airport, however it doesn’t have many international flights, but is perfect for small airplanes or private planes. There’s another way: you can fly to Budapest Ferihegy International Airport and take a car on the M5 highway. The drive is about an hour and a half, so you’ll be at your destination in no time. Also, you can take a train directly from Budapest Airport to the heart of Szeged, so you don’t have to worry about changing trains (for more information, check out the official MÁV site). There are also buses passing through the most important cities in the country, so even if you’re not staying in Szeged, you can still come and visit in a day trip.

Getting around isn’t that difficult either. Szeged has a very good public transportation network with buses, trolleys and trams circling the city. Taxis can also be found near almost every tourist attraction, so if you’re in a hurry and need to get from one part of the city to another, take a cab! Bicycles are a very popular means of transportation, both among tourists and natives. My advice is to hop on a bike (you can rent one at different points in the city) or go by foot, especially if the weather is good, because there are a lot of beautiful squares which are worth visiting, but don’t have bus stops nearby. So if you’d like to see them, walk through the city, I promise it’s worth the trip!

When it comes to staying in the city, there are a lot of possibilities one can choose. From fancy five-star hotels to snug and friendly pensions and from budget hostels to adventurous campings, Szeged has one of the most varied accommodation network in the country. So feel free to browse through them, and find the one that fits best your taste, demand and your pocket. Just a little tip: Hungarians are known to be very friendly people, so if you want to feel at home and to be treated like a family member, I’d advise you to stay at a guesthouse or a bed and breakfast!

Szeged’s gastronomy has two very famous meals: the traditional halászlé (fisherman’s soup) and the szegedin goulash. Both dishes are made after century-old recipes and are the most popular dishes in the city. Almost all the restaurants serve them, but there are some specialized on these two culinary superstars. You can check out a list of restaurants with some reviews. There are also a number of clubs and bars which are also worth a look-see.

In the “what-to-see” chapter you will find that Szeged can be very interesting both at a cultural and at an entertainment level. Besides all the clubs and bars I’ve mentioned before, if you’d like to spend your day sightseeing, here are the most popular tourist attractions in Szeged. First off, is a place that has lately become the city’s symbol, the Szeged Dome and Dome’s Square. This is the place where the famous Open Air Plays Festival is held every summer since 1931. Among the most-visited churches there are: the 15th century Gothic Church of Grey Friars, the Minorite Church, and the Synagogue. There are also a few popular squares that most tourists like to see, for example Klauzal square , Tisza Lajos square, Dugonics square and Széchenyi square. Some other infamous buildings are the Water Tower and the Dömötör Tower, City Hall, Reök Palace, the National Theater, the Móra Ferenc Museum, Gróf Palace, the Black House (Museum of Currency) and the Pick Salami and Paprika Museum :). Also, if the weather’s fine and you’d like to take a walk in a quiet place, you can do so on the bank of the Tisza river. On the contrary, if it’s raining or snowing and you’d like to relax someplace, go to Szeged Aquapark, which operates all year. There are plenty of slides and saunas you can try out, bathe in the curative waters or have a snack at the fast foods. You can also visit the Anna Bath, where you can also chill in the saunas, spas, and different natural and thermal water based pools. If you’d like a different kind of impression of the city, you can see Szeged from the air, all you need to do is go to the local airport, and you can go on different trips, which can offer you an exciting and original thrill and view of the beautiful city. For all those who like race cars, there’s also a go-kart lane in the city.